August 27, 2014

If Only... (20)

If only Ice Princess were a book.

Have seen or heard of the movie yet? Here's a taste:

Brainy Casey Carlyle has never quite fit in. Caught between her fantasy of becoming a championship figure skater and her strong-willed mother, who has her on the fast track to Harvard, she can only hope to be like Nikki, Tiffany and Gen--three elite skating prodigies who are ruthlessly competing on the US National circuit (and have attitudes to match). But when Casey gets the chance to train with Gen and her coach, a disgraced former skating champion who also happens to be Gen's mother, she must dash her own mother's hopes in order to pursue her dream. Now, with only the support of Gen's teenage brother, a hunky Zamboni driver, Casey takes on the challenge of her life when she finds herself competing against the best to make it into the championship circuit and become a real "ice princess."

I just watched Ice Princess earlier today, and admittedly I didn't think at first to use it for this meme because I assumed it was based on a book. However, the reason why it seemed to play out like a YA novel makes more sense when you consider this: Meg Cabot wrote the original screenplay.

What I love about this movie, and the novelized version if it existed, is that Casey isn't the average teenage girl-next-door who needs a gorgeous boy to be her saving grace. Sure, she start outs as the academic type, but Casey later proves that a girl can indeed have the best of both worlds in terms of academics and athletics. She's pretty and intelligent, talented and driven. There is a bit of romance involved, but guess what? Casey's love interest is not some popular hot shot with every girl fawning after him--he's a gentle, sweet boy who instead simply admires her ability out on the ice.

Secondary characters in Ice Princess work so well in keeping things interesting and driving the plot forward. Gen, one of Casey's classmates in school and an up-and-coming skater, is a genuine soul torn between dedicating her life to the sport or giving it all up. Her mother and coach, Tina, is a former skating pro who would do almost anything to see Gen succeed, even if it means sabotaging another skater's chances. Casey's mother has her own dream for her daughter, causing some familial conflict and strife. All of these little traits and side stories, in my humble opinion, would make for a brilliant book.

And there you have it! Feel free to comment on my choice in the comments. :)